Page 1 of Winter's Heart
CHAPTER ONE
NIKKI STOPPED WALKING, captivated by the beautiful vista of the frozen lake surrounded by snow-capped fir trees spread out in front of her.Despite her fluffy bathrobe, the freezing air chilled her skin, causing goosebumps to erupt across her body.Cold didn’t begin to describe the temperature; it was well below freezing.Every frosty breath of air she drew into her lungs was painful, and she could feel the tip of her nose turning pink, even though the short walk between the house and the sauna at the bottom of the garden was only a hundred yards or so.
She took a few more steps, and pulled open the door to the little red wooden hut, plunging inside with a gasp of relief.The heat was a sudden, intense contrast to the cold outside, hitting her like a brick wall.Nikki had lit the stove in the tiny sauna an hour ago, to make sure the hut reached the correct temperature, and right now the little thermometer said 77C.Which was just about perfect.
Kicking off her fleece-lined boots, she hesitated a second before untying the knot on her robe.There was no one around for miles, but Nikki still glanced self-consciously out the window before slowly removing her garment and hanging it neatly on the hook at the back of the door, leaving her standing naked in the middle of the hut.
The Swedes were so open about taking a sauna nude, they’d grown up with it all their lives, it was part of their culture.But in the face of their nonchalance, she could admit how much of a prude she really was.In this isolated little house, she was completely alone, however, and so decided to give it a try.It was her last day here, so why not indulge herself?
Nikki was grateful no one else was around to pass judgment on her body.She’d always been slender, but with all the stress of her job over the past few months and her recent relationship breakup—Bradley’s revelation that he was in love with someone else had broken something inside her, especially when he’d walked out and left as if she meant nothing to him—she was teetering on the edge of being too skinny.So skinny her hip bones were almost protruding through her jeans, and her arms had begun to appear skeletal.At least these ten days in the snowy wilderness where all there was to do was eat and read and take long walks through the forest had helped her gain back a few of those lost pounds.
Feeling decidedly empowered with her newfound shamelessness, Nikki used a cute wooden cup to pour water over the hot stones on top of the stove and settled herself down onto the carefully folded towel she’d placed on the bench seat earlier.With a sigh, she pinned her long hair into a loose knot, leaned her head back against the wooden wall, closed her eyes, and let the hot steam envelop her.Why had it taken her so long to discover the appeal of a sauna?So good for the skin, so good for her mental health as well.Relaxation wasn’t something that came easily to Nikki, but the heat of the sauna definitely helped to burn away some of that built-in stress.She was still working up to the idea of a roll in the snow or an ice plunge afterwards.The well-documented health benefits of cold therapy couldn’t outweigh her abhorrence of icy water, not in her mind anyway.
After luxuriating in the steam for a few moments, she opened her eyes so she could stare out the window.Could this place be any more beautiful and serene?She’d be thanking Tammy for recommending this little holiday hut as a getaway after the intense few weeks they’d spent working together almost night and day.Lost in the wilds of the Swedish forests, she couldn’t have picked a more perfect place.It was midwinter, and this far north, the sun merely skimmed the horizon instead of rising properly, turning the sky wonderful pale mauves and oranges, colors she’d love to capture in a painting, if only she were an artist.It would be dark by mid-afternoon, but Nikki didn’t mind; it gave her an excuse to curl up on the couch and read another of the many books she’d found in the well-stocked library.
A prickle of awareness ran through her and the nice relaxing buzz she had going vanished in a flash.Why did she feel as if someone was watching her?No one else was out here, she was utterly alone.She leaned forward warily and turned her head to peer out the side window.A flicker of movement caught her eye, but by the time she’d stood up in alarm, the door to the sauna swung open, letting in a rush of freezing air.
A man stood there blocking the exit with his large bulk.She screamed and tried to cover her nakedness.“What the—”
“Are you Dr.Nikita Winter?”the man demanded harshly, cutting her off.
“Get out,” she screamed, wanting to grab her robe, but it was on the door behind him.“Get out!”she yelled again, cowering backward, crossing her arms over her breasts.But there was nowhere for her to go, his large, male figure nearly overwhelmed the tiny hut.Her whole body shook, not only from the arctic air blasting in, but from pure fear.
“Sorry, ma’am, I can’t do that.”He avoided looking at her naked body as he removed her robe and offered it to her.She was too dumbfounded to take it, and continued to gape at him, cringing like a cornered animal.“Put this on,” he demanded when she didn’t move.
Dazed, she stared at him, her mind refusing to function.Where had he come from?He couldn’t have driven here; the hut was completely cut off by snow.The owner had brought her in using his snowmobile and was going to pick her up and take her back to town the same way.
Who was he?In her blind panicked state, she sketched a tall figure, dressed in white—down to his white knit cap and white boots—square-jawed with a rough growth that wasn’t quite long enough to be called a beard, a long, hawk-like nose with penetrating hazel eyes that were zeroed in on her.He looked like one of those commandos you saw in the movies, except all in white instead of black.It dawned on her slowly.White, so he could hide in the snow.Oh, God, what was going on here?He must be here to murder her.Afterward, he’d vanish back into the snowy landscape as if he’d never existed, and no one would be any the wiser.The owner would find her body tomorrow when he came to collect her, but it would all be too late by then.
A low moan leached from her throat.
The man gave a grunt of annoyance and pushed the robe toward her.“Put this on,” he said again.“I will not hurt you.Please put it on.”
It took the man physically pushing the garment into her hands for her body to function again.Quickly, she scrambled to pull the clothing on.At least if she was going to die, she would not do it buck naked.He watched her slip the robe over her shoulders and cinch it around her waist, his sharp gaze never leaving her face, never even once flickering below her chin.It took her a few seconds to realize that he was staring at her steadily, not leering at her.Now that she thought about it, he’d had plenty of opportunity to ogle her if he’d wanted to, but he wasn’t.In fact, his face remained impassive.And he hadn’t moved any closer, merely stayed in the doorway.If he intended to rape and murder her, then surely he would’ve taken advantage of her nudity?Used the surprise of his sudden appearance to his advantage and overpowered her.But he remained standing there, unruffled and solid as a rock.
Her heart still felt like it was going to leap out of her chest, but she finally stopped being so frightened that she couldn’t think straight.She needed to come up with a way out of this predicament.What was it her grandmother used to say to her?Never let them see your fear.Go down kicking and screaming if you have to, but don’t let them see your fear.Nikki’s grandmother had been a strong woman who’d lived an eventful life and had been the catalyst for Nikki’s choice of profession.She drew in a deep breath and stood taller, trying to channel the ghost of her grandmother, drawing in strength with every breath.
He gave a nod of approval now she was dressed.“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said in that calm, authoritative voice.“But I need to confirm that you are Nikita Winter.”
Bitterly cold air seeped in through the open door, but his large body filled the entrance, effectively trapping her.Numerous escape plans circled her head, but short of shoving him backward out into the snow—which would require her to take him by surprise, and that wasn’t going to happen—she could see no way out.If only she knew some martial arts or had taken a women’s defense class, then perhaps she might’ve considered a bid for freedom.Although she highly doubted she could outrun him wearing nothing more than a bathrobe and bare feet to run through the thigh-deep snow.
“Ma’am,” he said roughly, snapping her out of her reverie.“Please answer my question.”
She could see no other option, so she drew in a breath and tightened the sash around her waist, raising her chin to look him in the eye.“Yes, I’m Nikki.Who’s asking?”
A muscle twitched in the man’s cheek, the only sign Nikki could see that he was relieved by her admission.“I’m Jáhkot Utsi.A police inspector with the Svensk Polis.I’m here to protect you,” he replied.
A police officer?Should she believe him?What was a cop doing all the way out here?As if reading her mind, he pulled a badge from some hidden pocket and flashed it for her to see.It looked real enough.But the whole scenario was just so surreal.All she’d wanted was to enjoy a lovely sauna and take in the stunning view.There was no imaginable situation she could come up with that allowed for a police officer dressed in camouflage white to come bursting through her door and demand he was here to safeguard her.It was preposterous.This had to be a joke, right?
“Protect me from what?”she asked, not hiding her mocking tone.She didn’t need protection.She was a marine scientist on a short holiday after weeks of conducting a thorough investigation in the nearby fjords of Norway.A normal person, with no enemies to speak of, carrying on with her normal life; she certainly wasn’t in any danger.The initial shock and adrenaline of this policeman’s appearance was wearing off, making her fingers shake and her fear turn to irritation.
“Here, put these on.We need to get you out of here as soon as possible.”He shoved her boots toward her, ignoring her question.His impatience shimmered around him, almost like a visible aura.She put her feet into the boots slowly, taking her time, delaying as best she could, watching his eyes dart to the left and then to the right, while the rest of his body remained as still as a statue.“I’ll fill you in on all the details later, but for now, we need to move.Quick, go to the house,” he added when he noticed her stalling, moving out of the doorway and gesturing for her to go ahead.
Some of his agitation was rubbing off on her and while she didn’t believe there was any danger, she did as she was told, but at a dignified walk rather than a run.The police officer—what had he said his name was, Jáhkot?—followed her up the path, his gaze continuously raking the surroundings, so alert he reminded her of a German Shepherd on point.Walking through the fresh snow made it slow going, so she followed the footsteps she’d made on the way down to the sauna, which meant that Jáhkot was practically breathing down her neck by the time she laid her fingers on the door handle of the cottage.She was surprised he hadn’t picked her up and thrown her over his shoulder, he was so hyper.Stepping inside, she had a sudden impulse to slam the door in his face.He beat her to it, however, pushing her over the threshold and shutting the door firmly behind him, glancing once more outside as he did so.
Only then did she notice the gun.She hadn’t seen it when he’d burst into the sauna, but he had one in his hand now, pointed at the floor.
The sight of the gun pushed her over the edge.There were limits to what a normal person could put up with, and she’d had about enough of this nonsense.
